


Life's Too Short For Bad Coffee

by kittleimp



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Rising, Cults, Dorks in Love, Drinking, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Religious Fanaticism, Sort of? - Freeform, Tumblr Prompt, mentions of vomit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-03-17 04:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3515249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittleimp/pseuds/kittleimp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Listen, I’m really sorry my roommate threw up on your shoes.”</p><p>There have got to be better ways to meet cute boys.</p><p>ON HIATUS</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad decisions make good stories.

**Author's Note:**

> Started with a prompt from [this](http://kittleimp.tumblr.com/post/100216791956/bluandorange-inthebackoftheimpala) post.
> 
> The proper formatting for the text messages will be added once I figure out Ao3's excessively annoying workskins. I have one coded, but when I try to apply it the whole thing just... doesn't work. Any help would be much appreciated.

“Listen, I’m really sorry my roommate threw up on your shoes.”

Kieren’s eyes dart over at the man again, taking in his ratty clothes and dark, messy hair. His skin is the shade of deathly pale that usually results from a lifetime in a basement, interrupted by a light brushing of stubble. They’ve met before and Kieren has always assumed that he spends his time drinking or doing drugs. Now he can see that despite the fact that he looks like a wreck, there’s no bottle in his hand. Instead, there is a set of keys.

“This isn’t going to come out,” Kieren says, continuing to spray his ruined shoes with the house’s hose. “I can never wear these again.”

“’S canvas, jus’ puttem in the wash!” the man’s friend protests, making a grab for their half-empty can of beer.

“Christ, Julian, would you shut up?” the man snaps, swatting his swaying friend’s hand.

The drunken man, apparently named Julian, does have a point. The vomit has almost completely washed away from the canvas shoes. Kieren is still barefoot in the mud. His socks are in a pile to the side, deemed hopeless early on. At the very least, his shoes are going to be soaked all night.

“You still owe me,” he says.

“I know, I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to you,” the man promises.

“Simon!” a girl cries out.

Her skirts bounce as she runs over, grinning widely. She doesn’t stop before swinging her arms around the man. He stumbles back and wraps his arms around her waist to steady them both, but pushes her off quickly.

“Amy, can you take Julian back to the house? He’s absolutely smashed I’ve got to mend this,” Simon says quietly.

“Can’t exactly drive, handsome. I’m not quite sober enough,” she says.

“Then walk him, I know you’re not that drunk,” he says, growing impatient.

“Alright, alright, you just have fun,” she says, then waggles her eyebrows them both in turn. “See you later!”

She pulls the drunken man toward the dorms and Simon turns back to him with a heavy sigh. He steps into the mud and picks up Kieren’s shoes, holding them under the spray to get the rest of the mess off. When that’s done, he sets them on the sidewalk and holds his hand out.

“I’ll rinse your feet,” he says.

Kieren hands the hose over and reaches out to balance against the wall. He sucks in a breath at the icy water against his feet. Once one is clean, he steps onto the sidewalk and holds the other out.

“You look familiar,” Simon says once he turns the water off.

“I’m Kieren. You sit behind me in Professor Williams’ class, borrow pencils sometimes,” Kieren replies.

He picks up his dripping shoes and casts a glance at the dorms. The walk isn’t long, but it involves crossing multiple roads and following uneven dirt paths. Simon follows his eyes and shakes his keys.

“My friends are walking, so I’ve got a car to myself. I’ll drive you back,” he offers.

“Alright,” Kieren says, stepping toward the parking lot with him.

They spend the walk and drive in silence. Kieren watches the rest of the students through the window as they wander between the houses on the outskirts of campus. Many of them are drunk, somewhere on the spectrum between Simon’s two friends in behavior.

In the semester he has been through so far, Kieren hasn’t had more than one drink at a time. He hasn’t ever actually enjoyed the poor taste and harsh burn of alcohol. Before Rick’s deployment, they used to trade sips of cider in the cave. Then there was his disastrous eighteenth birthday, which is something he never likes to think about. That only solidified his dislike of drinking.

As the silence stretches, Kieren’s thoughts turn to the stranger next to him. How did Simon get caught as the designated driver? He’s a hard one to read. Not a party animal, but not the sort to hide from the social scene. His looks defy an immediate classification, especially with the slightly worn jeans and a plain, faded t-shirt that he is wearing. They also cause a traitorous stir of interest in Kieren.

“Which building?” Simon asks, pulling him from his thoughts.

“To your right, that one right there.”

Simon pulls up and puts the car in park. As Kieren reaches to open the door of the car, he feels Simon’s hand on his arm.

“Mind if I get your number?” he says.

“Uh, I guess. You’ve still got to properly make up for your friend ruining my shoes, right?” Kieren asks.

“Yeah, that,” Simon says.

With a smile like that, Kieren doesn’t really care why he wants it. A small part of him hopes for a date. The rest of him just wants Simon to disappear..

They part ways with awkward nods. Kieren rinses off quickly in the communal showers and falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. By the time he wakes up, the nightmarish party seems like a far-off dream. He would be able to believe that it wasn’t real if it weren’t for the damp canvas shoes on the floor by his bed and a text from an unknown number on his phone.

 **Unknown Number:** Hey, this is Simon.

Simon. Scruffy Simon with the bright eyes and the drunk friends. Simon, who texted him bright and early at nine in the morning. A rosy tint rises to Kieren’s cheeks as he reads over the text. With a few quick taps, he saves the number and types out a reply.

 **Kieren:** Hey Simon

He rolls out of bed with a groan and adjusts his baggy pajama pants. The phone on his mattress buzzes almost immediately.

 **Simon:** What are you doing today?

Kieren chuckles as he taps to reply. Simon is very to-the-point.

 **Kieren:** Nothing planned yet I’ve got no classes today

When the phone buzzes again, he has barely had a chance to reach for a clean pair of pants.

 **Simon:** Then why don’t I start trying to make up for Julian’s behavior with some coffee?

Kieren stares at the message with a wide grin and flushed cheeks. They’ve jumped straight past flirting and right into unofficial dates, apparently, and excitement flutters in his chest at the idea.

Alongside the excitement, fear stirs as well. Nobody here knows. He didn’t want to go through everything again, not after years of being bullied and mocked for something as simple as liking other guys. A voice of reason whispers that he can’t hide forever, nor should he. If Simon is interested, then why not give it a shot? Before he can think through his worries again, he sends a reply.

 **Kieren:** See you in twenty minutes at Campus Cafe?

 **Simon:** That’s not coffee, that’s dishwater.

Kieren stifles a laugh at the response. Simon, the handsome designated driver and potential boyfriend, is a coffee snob. While the cafe doesn’t have amazing coffee, it’s good enough that it has driven every other over-priced cafe on campus out of business.

 **Simon:** Turn right onto North St and then take another right into the second alley. There’s a door on the left. Twice as good, half the price. Twenty minutes?

Then again, maybe it hasn’t.

 **Kieren:** See you there.

With a broad, blushing grin, Kieren starts picking through his wardrobe to find something that isn’t too faded or stretched. For the first time in his nineteen years, he’s going to meet a boy for coffee. There’s no way he’s wearing trashy clothes for this.


	2. Be gentle, this is my first time.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dating looked easier on TV...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm _late_ , sorry. I got pretty darn sick for a week and a half. While I'm fine now, the make-up work has been slowing things down. Your comments and kudos have been warming my heart. <3
> 
> Thank you for your patience and I hope that you enjoy!

The coffee shop Simon suggested is tucked into in a cleaned-up alleyway. The glass door has a sign hanging in it claiming that they’re open, so he pulls the door open and wanders in. Past a short hallway with a door for a bathroom and a door for the “employees only” area is the small cafe. Everything is lit by warm lights along the walls. The chairs are mismatched, no two tables are the same, and somehow there is someone at nearly every table.

Kieren spots Simon at a table in the far corner of the room and smooths his hair down nervously. For the first time in years, he’s going on a date. What made him think that he could do this? He has no idea what he’s doing and Simon is clearly something completely different than Rick and...

He doesn’t have time to freak out right now. Simon has spotted him and is making his way over with that stupidly sweet smile. Instead of something plain like his jeans and t-shirt from last night, the older student is wearing an oversized jumper that somehow suits him perfectly.

“You made it,” Simon says with a smile, as if he expected Kieren to stand him up.

“Barely, I got confused when I had to wander down an actual alley,” Kieren jokes. “How did you find this place?”

“My roommate showed it to me. I work here now, actually,” Simon replies with a shrug.

“Well, it’s already better than Campus Cafe,” Kieren says.

Simon smiles even wider, “Wait until you taste it.”

He motions to the counter and they both shuffle up, pale cheeks tinting pink. Kieren orders first. The menu is completely confusing to him; he has no idea what half of these drinks are. He orders a cappuccino with vanilla syrup in it, crossing his fingers that it won’t be too bitter.

Simon steps up before Kieren can pull his wallet out and says something entirely too complicated to be an actual drink. If he isn’t mistaken, the words “upside-down” actually came out of Simon’s mouth while ordering _coffee_. The barista nods and swipes a card on the lanyard around their neck before announcing the price for their drinks. Again, Simon beats Kieren to it and sets his money on the table.

“Keep the change, Lindsay,” he says and motions toward the order pick-up spot.

“If you work with her and order like that, how does she not kill you?” Kieren asks as they walk to the other end of the counter.

“Lindsay uses neutral pronouns. They also ordered something with diet water last time I was working, so they can figure out what to do with that order.”

Kieren hums an answer and they fall into uncomfortable silence, both avoiding meeting the other’s eyes as they wait. When Lindsay delivers their drinks a moment later, they thank them and return to the table that Simon picked out.

“What did you end up with?” Kieren asks, breaking the silence.

Simon sips it and considers the taste, “This is earl grey, I believe.”

“Did you order tea?”

“No.”

Kieren nods, at a loss for words, and sips his own drink. It’s too bitter. He silently curses himself for not ordering the cappuccino extra sweet or just getting a hot chocolate, but that time has passed. Now is the time to address Simon, who is staring directly at him.

“So... what’s your major?” he asks, taking advantage of university’s best conversation starter.

“English, what about you?”

“Painting.”

He expects the conversation to fall into another awkward silence, but Simon raises his eyebrows and tilts his head just the slightest bit.

“I can’t say I expected that,” he admits. “I can see it, though. You’re probably great at it too.”

Was that flirting? Christ, he really can’t tell at all. Simon’s face seems forever frozen in a sort of surprised smirk and Kieren hasn’t got a clue what that means. He just replies with a shrug and sips his drink again and tries not to make a face at the taste. Despite his best efforts, his lip wrinkles just enough to catch Simon’s attention.

“You don’t like coffee, do you?” he asks with a smirk.

“Not really,” Kieren admits sheepishly.

“Trade me, then?” Simon suggests, holding the tea out to Kieren.

He takes it gratefully and hands over the cappuccino. The tea is much better than the bitter coffee. It is in fact earl grey with a stir of cream and sugar; Kieren lets the sweeter taste wash away the older one. Simon takes a long sip of the coffee as well and sighs happily. 

“If it’s bitter, you know there’s caffeine in it,” he says.

“Why would you want to drink a bitter drink, though?” Kieren asks. “It’s just gross. Definitely not worth feeling more awake.”

Simon shakes his head, “Those are the words of someone who has never been awake for more than twenty-four hours. Coffee is an elixir at that point.”

“Forget the coffee, why would you stay up that long?” Kieren asks, staring back at Simon with an expression of amazed confusion.

“That’s a story for another time,” Simon says with a smile. “If I told it now, you’d run for the hills. I don’t exactly want to scare you off.”

He takes another sip of the coffee, but his eyes never leave Kieren, who is hiding a surprised blush by taking another drink. Their awkward, jolting conversation continues for well over an hour, but they say almost nothing. It is small talk and they stand outside of the alley that hold the cafe’s entrance knowing almost nothing more about each other than they did when they first arrived.

Kieren sways on his feet, wondering if he should kiss Simon goodbye on the first date. Is that something people do? Is it like tipping, where you leave some if the service was good? The whole thing brings to mind again just how much experience he lacks. He doesn’t get the chance to make that choice, as Simon breaks the silence with a soft sigh and a sweet smile.

“I had a nice time. I’d like to go out again sometime, if that’s alright,” Simon says confidently.

Kieren is jealous of that.

“Yeah, that’d be nice. Where to?” he replies, voice much less steady than his companions.

What do guys do on dates? Play a bit of football? Drink? Go to gay bars? Kieren thinks he might not be too far off, but then he considers that most men at gay bars are looking for someone. Or maybe that’s not how they work. Inside of his right sweatshirt pocket, he picks at a loose thread. Why can’t these sort of things just be easy?

“Maybe next time we can go toward the shopping district,” Simon suggests. “I know we’re both students and probably broke, but why not look?”

That was... not what Kieren expected him to suggest. He chastises himself immediately for making dumb assumptions about not only Simon, but men in general. Boys are supposed to like football and parties, right? Except not. Kieren has spent enough time trying to make guesses based on Rick’s dad’s standards that he’s starting to forget they were never his.

“There’s an art store there,” he blurts before he can stop himself. “It’s a pretty cool place. They sell to art students at a discount.”

“Is that the one next to the discount book store?” Simon asks.

“Yeah, I think so,” Kieren says, but then he pauses to think and shakes his head. “Actually, I don’t know. I haven’t been in the stores around it.”

“Good, then we’ll have something to do. How does after Williams’ class on Thursday sound?”

“Sounds great.”

They don’t part with a kiss this time. Instead they have an awkward exchange of farewells and nervous smiles. In the end, they realize that they’re both going to have to walk the same way back to the dorms. That at least pulls a chuckle from Simon.

“Should have figured that,” he mutters to himself, then turns his head to look at Kieren. “How’re those shoes doing?”

“What?” Kieren says before he remembers their meeting the night before. “Oh! My shoes are going to recover, I think, but I threw my socks away. That’ll teach me to wear anything but boots, yeah?”

“They’re nice boots,” Simon says.

“They’re _old_ boots,” he corrects.

It’s true, the old leather boots are getting close to falling apart. Kieren bought them used when he was fifteen and wore them into the ground within two years, but he’s holding them together with wishes and amateur shoe repair supplies until he can afford a new pair. The canvas shoes he had been wearing the night before were backup shoes.

“Well, I like them,” Simon says.

As he does, he slows his steps. They’re standing in front of the first dorm, which Kieren assumes Simon lives in. He spots the girl from the night before locking her bike into the bike rack. She’s visible by the bright flowers on her dress and the pink tulle poofing it out.

“This is me,” Simon says, motioning to the building. “I’ll see you in class on Thursday, then.”

“Yeah, see you then.”

Yet again, they don’t kiss, but they do smile at each other again before Simon reluctantly turns back to his building. Kieren walks the rest of the way back to his dorm wondering if maybe, just maybe, this whole first date didn’t go so badly after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated, but never necessary. There will be a short wait for the next chapter due to a convention and some other writing projects, but I will be working on it. I'm thinking... a week and a half?
> 
> I'm [undeadbambiboy](http://undeadbambiboy.tumblr.com) on tumblr, so feel free to visit me and recommend In The Flesh fics! I'd love to read what you've written and I'll share my favorites with my followers.


	3. Most people serve God, but I'm stuck serving his followers.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparing for a date is far more than just putting some nice clothes on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went on a trip, I'm about to graduate, and I forgot that I had to finish this draft. Not much more I can say other than sorry, I'll try to give you a heads up before I get busy again.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kieren only has to wait until the next morning to hear from Simon again. When his alarm drags him from a dead sleep at nine, he notices a new alert. New messages from his sister or his few friends aren’t unusual, even so early in the morning, but this time none of their names appear in bold. His stomach lurches.

 **Simon:** Hey there.

Kieren rubs the sleep out of his eyes as a large grin spreads across his face.

 **Kieren:** Hey simon

 **Simon:** Did you sleep well?

 **Kieren:** Like a rock it was pretty nice ngl

 **Simon:** That’s good. Did you have a nice time yesterday?

The butterflies start again and Kieren shakes his head at his own ridiculous excitement. One date and he’s already floating for the guy. Not even a particularly special date, just a simple one where they drank decent caffeinated drinks and and talked for a while.

It was perfect.

 **Kieren:** Totally it was a lot of fun

 **Kieren:** You?

 **Simon:** I had a great time. :)

Simon’s addition of a smiley face has Kieren raising his eyebrows. The older man looks, talks, and texts like the living, breathing stereotype of an English major. That dorky little face just doesn’t fit him. Kieren’s smile falters as he realizes just how much he doesn’t know about Simon at all. The list has to be miles long.

 **Simon:** Are we still good for tomorrow?

The smile is back in full force. There’s nobody around, but Kieren’s ears still tint pink.

 **Kieren:** Yeah totally!

 **Kieren:** I have to get to work but I’ll text you later

 **Simon:** Okay, talk to you then.

After he locks his phone, Kieren considers flopping back onto his bed to think for a while. Work isn’t as pressing as he made it sound, but the butterflies are still fluttering about in his stomach.

The dorm’s door swings open before he can curl up alone with his dumb smile. Kieren’s roommate, Brian, gives a short wave and sits down on his bed. Things with Brian are never an issue. Both he and Kieren are the quiet sort and both like to keep things orderly, so there’s no reason for them to argue about much as long as Kieren opens the windows when he paints.

The blonde that follows Brian in is a different story. Zoe Kelly is a fireball of passion and excitement with no off button. Ever since they first met, he and Zoe have butted heads about everything imaginable. She declared herself as a Political Science major earlier in the year and has a serious passion for activism, but Kieren prefers not to get involved in protests. While he loves painting, she sees it as an outdated form of art. Brian stops the arguments when he can.

Zoe and Brian are practically connected at the hip, but Zoe told Kieren early on that Brian was like a brother to her, so at least he doesn’t have to worry about listening to them get down and dirty. Even if they weren’t practically siblings, Zoe has been going on and on about some guy from her church group all year. Said mystery man is the topic of discussion as they walk into the room.

“I just think you should be careful, Zoe. He’s a bit extreme sometimes,” Brian says after he waves to Kieren.

“There’s nothing to be careful about. We’re not doing anything bad, just fighting for equal rights,” she insists. “He’s a good, smart man. You’ve heard him talk.”

Brian only responds with a vague shrug. Nobody, especially not someone with Brian’s gentle demeanor, stands a chance when facing Zoe’s passion. That’s especially true when their weird activism-centered religion comes up.

“Don’t you have work?” Brian asks, turning his attention to Kieren.

“Yeah,” he replies and avoids Zoe’s unimpressed glare.

He grabs some clothes out of his drawer and shuffles off to the relative privacy of the communal bathroom. He only returns to the dorm to toss his towel over his bedpost before starting his near-daily trip to the edge of campus.

Just past the University’s property limit lies an old bar with a sign hanging over it with “The Crossroads” painted in looping letters. Kieren walks in, glancing around at the few customers, and his eyes settle on the person behind the bar.

“Hello, Bailey,” he says with grin.

“You’re late, Mister Walker!” she replies, but there’s no venom in her voice.

“Sorry, Bay, you know how the walk is,” he says and lifts a section of the bar to make his way in.

“Long and cold, you tell me everyday. You’re lucky I like you.”

“You’re the one who keeps scheduling me for morning shifts,” he says and grabs a pale apron from under the bar. “If you want me here quickly, call me in past noon.”

Bailey rolls her brown eyes and slides off of the tall stool she’s perched on. She grabs her cane from where it is resting against the bar and walks over to him, pointing to a new note on their alerts clipboard. Kieren glances down and presses his lips into a thin line.

“Really? You couldn’t have said no?” he asks.

“They’re going to bring in a fair amount of cash. I’m the owner, I have to consider the business side of things before the preferences of my bartender,” Bailey reminds him.

“Since when do church groups meet in bars anyway?” he mumbles.

“It’s not going to be a weekly thing, they promised that much,” she says, giving him a reassuring pat on the arm. “One of their activism things went well and so they’re having a night out to celebrate.”

Kieren sighs, “At least they called to give us a heads up. If I had to deal with Zoe and her fanatics without any warning, I might have to drown myself in a keg.”

Or drown Zoe.

“You’ll be fine, Kieren. Now make yourself busy so I can go deal with my responsibilities.”

\---★---★---★---★---★---

Kieren spends the first ten minutes of his Thursday eating a flavorless breakfast of dry muffins and stale water from a plastic bottle. His alarm had dragged him from a good dream, but all he can remember is a fading feeling of warmth and contentedness. All in all, it isn’t the best start to the day.

Brian walks into the dorm with damp hair and tosses his towel over his bedpost. He nods to Kieren in greeting, but nothing more. Thursday mornings are rough for both of them, given the early classes they have scheduled, and they rarely say much until later in the day.

However, this time Brian turns back to Kieren and looks him over. Kieren raises his eyebrows, waiting for whatever comment his roommate is thinking up.

“Wearing sweatpants to your date?” Brian says at last.

Kieren curses and jumps up from his bed. Wearing something sloppy to his morning classes is typical for him, but he can’t do that if he’s going out with Simon afterwards. His phone is already chiming for him to start his morning walk. He didn’t think to set anything out the night before, but he’s going to be late if he doesn’t hurry.

“You forgot,” Brian laughs as Kieren pulls up a pair of tan jeans. “You were so excited about it yesterday and you actually forgot!”

“Shut up!” Kieren shouts to him, then hurries out of the room with a hoodie pulled on over an old t-shirt.

Just outside of the building his class is in, Kieren thinks better of rushing in looking like a mess. He rests for a moment to catch his breath and evaluates the reflection in the window. There isn’t much he can do about his messy hair now, so he runs his hands through it a few times and tries to keep it brushed to the side. The clothes he grabbed aren’t inside out or backwards. That’s about all there is to say for them.

With a deep sigh, he pushes the door open and starts the trip to his classroom. He is a few minutes late, but Professor Williams is notorious for starting no sooner than five minutes after he should, so he isn’t interrupting anything when he pushes the door open.

Simon greets him with a smile. Kieren can’t help but return it as he makes his way over to the empty seat next to the older student. When he flops into the chair, he finds a coffee cup sitting on the desk in front of him. Written on the top in black marker is his name.

“I thought you might want something to keep you awake. You know how Williams’ lectures are,” Simon says.

“Thank you,” Kieren says, smiling wider. He may not like coffee, but the thought and caffeine are both appreciated.

Before he can think of anything else to say, the professor walks in and the conversations around the room fall silent. Kieren wraps his fingers around the warm cup and brings it to his lips. He inhales, then pauses. That isn’t the bitter smell of coffee he was expecting. Cautiously, he takes a small sip.

_Earl grey._

Simon remembered.

Kieren smiles and swallows down more of the warm drink. It drags his mind out of its early morning haze, both with the promise of caffeine in his system and the realization that Simon _cares_.

It isn’t as if none of Kieren’s friends care about him. They’re fun to hang out with and they mean he isn’t alone at the university. That’s all they are, though. Nobody from the university has ever cared to learn what he likes to drink in the mornings, let alone bring a cup of it to their morning class. Kieren’s heart swells in a way that he hasn’t felt since... since a long time ago.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kieren watches Simon’s fingers tap restlessly on his spiral-bound notebook. The page is filled with a barely legible, scrawled mess of notes that he assumes must belong to Simon. Sure enough, the man next to him adds to the notes occasionally during the class.

Kieren notes idly that his own page is much more orderly. The writing is not particularly neat, but nobody has ever had a problem reading his work, so he has never given it much thought. He hasn’t ever needed to. By the time his page is filled, the professor is dismissing them for the day.

The world slams back into view as soon as Simon closes his notebook. Gone is the gentle feeling of introspection that Kieren spent the hours of their class floating in, now replaced with a jarring sense of anxiety that borders on terror. He is about to go on a date. A date with a man who brought him a cup of tea that is now long-empty. They’re going to spend at least a few hours together wandering from shop to shop and Kieren has no idea what to do.

Then Simon’s lips curve into a small, shy smile and Kieren’s fear softens. In its place, nervous butterflies rise.

_Here goes nothing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, but never required. Soon there will be date shenanigans.
> 
>  
> 
> [Come visit me on tumblr!](http://undeadbambiboy.tumblr.com)


	4. If I’m gay... and you’re gay... who is running this date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you ever get so excited that you feel like you're going to throw up? Yeah. Pretty much that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are wondering, this fic is on a rotation with the rest of my fics. I try to post an equal amount of all of them. That said, I've got a lot of fics going on. Good news, though! I have a beta for all of them now! Many thanks to [Soph](http://archiveofourown.org/users/WeMightAswellBeStrangers/pseuds/MapsWindsor) for being the best beta buddy ever. <3

The butterflies fluttering in Kieren’s stomach have begun to rise into his chest as well. He tries to quiet them with deep breaths as they walk down the sidewalk with hands shoved in jacket pockets,shoulders brushing with every other step. Their date couldn’t have fallen at a better time; despite the forecast for rain, the sun is shining brightly above them. It warms them enough to dull the cool breeze slipping through their sweatshirts. Thank goodness for subtropical climates.

“Where do you want to stop first?” Simon asks, turning to look at Kieren.

Kieren considers the shops lining the concrete. There are a few chain stores, mostly clothing shops and restaurants, but they are outnumbered by the local businesses. They pass boutique with its name painted in a looping font, then a bakery selling pastries and breakfast sandwiches to the passing students. Finally, his eyes settle on a wooden sign. It’s paint is peeling so badly that he can barely read the store’s name, but he knows it’s the book store 

“Let’s look in the book shop,” Kieren suggests. “You mentioned it before, right? It’s next to the art shop.”

“Sounds good,” Simon replies and leads Kieren through the open door.

The moment they enter the store, there’s a bright shout of “Simon!” from behind the counter. Kieren recognizes the girl from the night he met Simon by her poofy, layered skirts and long, brown hair. She beams at them both.

“Hello, handsome!” she says cheerfully. “You didn’t tell me you were stopping in with your new beau!”

Kieren glances up nervously, cheeks burning once again, but Simon is busy directing a bright smile at the girl behind the counter. They’re obviously friends. Suddenly, Kieren finds himself feeling out of place, and wonders what the protocol is for this. Does he leave? Let Simon spend time with his friend? No, that would be stupid, this is his date just as much as it is Simon’s.

Before he can overthink it too much, he feels Simon’s warm hand press against his back.

“I didn’t know you were working,” Simon says to the girl, then turns back to Kieren with that same sweet smile he always seems to have. “This is my friend Amy. She’s been going on about meeting you since our first date.”

“I’ve got to check out the competition,” she adds with a wink.

“She’s dead set on marrying me. Won’t take no for an answer.”

Kieren raises his eyebrows, “I didn’t know I was going to have to battle your admirers. That’s the sort of thing you’re supposed to mention before the second date, Simon.”

Amy laughs loudly and waves them on, then turns her attention to a customer is waiting patiently with a basket full of books. The two of them make their way toward the back of the store. Kieren stifles a sigh of relief. It isn’t that he minded meeting her, it’s just... Amy has a far larger personality than he was expecting.

“I didn’t know she would be working today,” Simon says apologetically once they’re out of earshot.

“It’s fine,” Kieren says quietly. “She seems nice.”

“A bit loud, too,” Simon adds with a grin.

That pries a matching smile out of Kieren, and soon they’re chuckling softly together. The anxiety that had been building in Kieren’s chest lightens until he’s once again filled only with excitement, perhaps with a hint of nerves. Simon’s ability to calm him down is nothing short of magic.

“She likes you,” Simon says once their quiet laughter has settled.

“Does she?”

Try as he might, Kieren can’t keep the note of hope from his voice. He may be clueless about relationships, but even he knows that having the approval of Simon’s friends is a definite plus.

“Amy might seem blindly cheerful, but she’s easy to read once you get to know her,” Simon explains. “I bet she’ll steal your number from me later.”

Kieren gives an amused glance back toward the front of the store and shrugs in resignation. She’s a determined person, that much is obvious, and he has no doubt that she’ll get his number one way or another.

With their shoulders just barely brushing, the pair wanders through the stacks of books without a clear destination. It is only when they reach the very back of the store that Simon begins to move with purpose. Kieren follows, trailing him past the last of the shelves and to the cement stairs that lead down to the basement.

Kieren isn’t sure what he was expecting, but when they reach the bottom of the stairs he knows it wasn’t this. More bookcases line the wall on one side of the cramped space. The others are just like the stairs: bare, unpainted cement split in the middle by another doorway and lit only by the simple fixture in the center of the ceiling. Various soft rugs, no two of them the same, cover the entire floor in a bright patchwork. A pile of beanbags sits in the far corner.

“I wanted to show this to you,” Simon says, pulling Kieren’s attention away from his survey of the room. “It used to be a storage room, but Amy has been working on turning it into a place to relax or study. The stairs on the other end lead to the cafe. I come down here all the time.”

The significance of the room before them becomes immediately apparent. Kieren looks to Simon with a smile and steps onto the rug-covered floor. There is a handwritten sign taped firmly to the aged bookshelf, reading “ _Take a book, leave a book!_ ” A piece of paper is stuck onto the wood next to it urging studiers to mention the bookstore to the cafe upstairs, which will give the store 20% of the profits from their purchase.

“I had no idea this place existed,” Kieren admits as he takes everything in.

“Not many people do. It wouldn’t be the same if they did,” Simon says.

“The secret is safe with me,” Kieren promises playfully.

When they walk back up the stairs and to the front of the store, Amy is flipping distractedly through a magazine. She blows them a kiss with an exaggerated wink as they leave, but doesn’t try to interrupt their date with further conversation. Kieren glances away from Simon and waits for his blush to calm down.

“Will you show me the art store?” Simon asks as they step out the front door.

“Sure, but it doesn’t have any secret basement. Just a lot of paint and whatnot,” Kieren says, leading Simon to the next store over.

In comparison to the bookstore, the art supply store looks brand new. Its sign is hand painted and the tile floor is swept clean. Everything is organized meticulously on uniform metal shelves, in complete contrast to the endless shelves stuffed haphazardly with books. The man sitting behind the counter flashes them a smile as they enter and returns to typing something on his phone.

This time, it is Simon’s turn to take everything in. He wanders through the rows of supplies with intense focus. It isn’t until they’ve reached a shelf of sponges and brushes that Kieren recognizes the blank look behind Simon’s mask of interest.

“Simon... I don’t mean to sound rude, but do you have any idea what you’re looking at?” he asks bluntly.

“Not at all,” Simon admits sheepishly. “I haven’t got an artistic bone in my body.”

Kieren smiles and rolls his eyes, then steps up to the brushes. He picks up one with a blue, wooden handle and holds it up for Simon to see. Then he chooses one with a clear handle and shows them side by side.

“The red one is sable, which is hair from the tail of a kolinsky. It’s a high quality brush, but really expensive,” he explains. “The clear brush is synthetic. I’ve got a whole set of these because they’re a lot cheaper.”

“I assume they paint differently,” Simon says, taking the sable brush and looking it over.

“Completely, and that’s just two types,” Kieren says and turns eagerly back to the display.

By the time that they step out of the store nearly half an hour later, clouds have spread over the sky and the scent of rain is in the air. Kieren shares an unsure look with Simon, but they have to walk if they want to get back to the dorms. They set off down the sidewalk with wary eyes on the sky.

“We should go out for lunch next time,” Kieren suggests in a brief moment of courage, his voice uneven.

“We should,” Simon agrees. “Why don’t you text me later and we’ll figure something out?”

Kieren nods and they fall back into a comfortable silence. Before his mind can take off into a spiral of anxious thoughts, Kieren feels a large, warm hand slide into his. His cheeks flush as he looks down, and he laces his fingers between Simon’s. A quick glance toward Simon reveals that he’s not the only one flushing, and Kieren grins widely.

When they reach the first dorms, Simon stops reluctantly, and Kieren turns to face him. They haven’t let go of each other yet and neither is eager to be the first. Instead, they lock eyes and blush like nervous children with their first playground crush.

“Can I kiss you?” Simon asks suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Oh, u-um, yeah,” Kieren stutters with wide eyes.

Despite the permission, Simon hesitates for a moment before bringing his free hand to Kieren’s face gently and leaning in. Their lips press together lightly at first, the kiss as tentative as they both are, but then Kieren presses in closer. Simon’s lips are warm and slightly chapped against his, but they fit as if they were made specifically for this. 

After a moment, they part reluctantly, both longing for more. Icy droplets of rain begin to fall onto their flushed cheeks.

“You should get back to your dorm,” Simon says, casting a glance to the sky and then back to Kieren. He smiles sweetly and steps back. “I’ll see you soon.” Kieren grins in response, trying to think of a reason to extend their time together, and finding none.

“Yeah, I’ll see you,” Kieren echoes finally, and gives Simon an awkward wave.

As he hurries through the rain splattering the sidewalk around him, he can’t keep the blissful grin off his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr as [undeadbambiboy](http://undeadbambiboy.tumblr.com/) or, for everything other than In The Flesh, [kittleimp](http:/kittleimp.tumblr.com/).

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> I'm looking for someone to beta/brit-pick future In The Flesh fics. If you are interested, please send an ask to my In The Flesh blog,[undeadbambiboy](http://undeadbambiboy.tumblr.com).


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